Profile

Akpan H. Ekpo is a Professor of Economics and Public Policy, University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. He has participated in Nigeria’s public policy space for over twenty-five years. He was once Chairman, Ministerial Advisory Committee, Federal Ministry of Finance, Abuja from 1994-98; a Non-Executive Director of the Central Bank of Nigeria and Member of its Monetary Policy Committee, 2005-2009. He was Technical Advisor to the Vision 2010; member of the Steering Committee to Vision 20:2020; member of the Economic and Recovery Growth Committee; member of the Federal Government Minimum Wage Committee and has participated at various federal and state governments policy-making committees in Nigeria. He was a member of the Senior Technical Review Team for the 2021-25 National Development Plan and Agenda 2050 for Nigeria. He was Editor, Nigerian Journal of Economic and Social Studies. President of the Nigerian Economic Society and a fellow of the Society. He was Director General and Head of Mission of the West African Institute for Financial and Economic Management (WAIFEM) from 2009-2018, owned by English-speaking Central Banks of West Africa.

Professor Ekpo was Vice-chancellor, University of Uyo, 200-2005 and was commended by the National Universities Commission (NUC) for excellence in re-positioning the Federal University of Uyo. He has been Visiting scholar to the World Bank and the IMF at various times. He is a recipient of the Federal Government of Nigeria Merit Award on Productivity. He has lectured in several universities in the USA, Zimbabwe and Nigeria. He has consulted for several global and national institutions such as the World Bank, African Economic Research Consortium (AERC), UNDP, UNCTAD, UN-ECA, ACBF, Forum of Federations, Center for Democracy and Development, National Manpower Board, Federal Ministry of Finance, budget and Planning, among others.

He has been a member of various boards and Think Tanks such as the Management Committee of the AERC in Nairobi, African Heritage Institutions, African Population, Health and Research Consortium (APHRC), Clement Isong Foundation, Edet Amana Foundation and New Nigeria Foundation, among others. He has attended several policy-oriented programmes at Harvard University, University of Oxford and the World Bank Development Institute.

Professor Ekpo has written eight books and edited three. His latest book: Nigeria: A Resource Rich Economy in Disarray was published by the University of Lagos Press. He has published over 200 articles in peer-reviewed journals, chapters in book and other research outlets. He attended Howard University, Washington, D.C., USA; Northwestern University (AEA Fellowship), Evanston, Illinois, USA. He holds a PhD in Business Administration and PhD in Economics from the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.He is married to Rev (Mrs) Njeri Mbaka Ekpo and they are blessed with children and grandchildren.

For details see: www.akpanekpo.com.ng